Motor vehicles include seat assemblies for supporting occupants above a floor in a passenger compartment of the vehicle. It is known to provide seat assemblies that are selectively movable or adjustable in a generally horizontal direction along an upper surface of the floor to accommodate occupants of varying heights or cargo of varying dimensions. It is also known to provide seat assemblies that pivot or flip into a recessed storage space located beneath the upper surface of the floor to expand the cargo carrying capacity in the passenger compartment. Such designs, however, are difficult for some users, since the seat assembly must be lifted as it is pivoted or flipped. Further, such designs are not easily implemented in vehicles where packaging space is limited, since the seat assemblies must have room to pivot or flip.
Thus, it remains desirable to provide an improved seat assembly that allows generally horizontal adjustment along the floor of the vehicle and is substantially vertically displaceable to a stowed position disposed in a storage space below the floor without pivoting or flipping.